Stone gatherer



April 17, 1928. 1,666,836

' E; v. sANTEE STONE GATHERER Filed July 8, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l o 6 o 1 w w w \5 u f l C\ N l f N @Y i 'if r Qwwwo@ Saw/Ziege i [A A.

E. v. sANTEE STONE GATHERER Filed July a, 192e April 17 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 gn/vento@ E San Zee i ll'which are hinge-d as at 18'to thevcasing 8 Patented Apr. 17, 1928..

UNITED STATES# ELMER v. SANTE-E,- oF WILLIAMSON, .NEW YoRK.

A s'roNE GATHERER.

application med my 8, 1926. fnsriai No.11,1,`3.

This invention relates to stone gatherers,

and has for one of its objects the provision ofA a novel, comparatiN-*eljT simple andl highly efficient machine adapted for the vpurpose of gathering and loading stones onto a wagon.

With the foregoingand other objects in' view, the nature of which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists of the, construction, combination and arrangements ofyparts herein-` after fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: l Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of the machine, l f Figure2 is a sectional view taken on'the planes indicated by the line 2--2 of Figure 1, Figure Bisa sectional view taken on the planes indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1and Figure 4 is a view lpartly in section and partly in plan of the rear portion of the machine. v

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and' designated the several views of the `Aaccompanying drawings, by similar reference characters. l

The machine comprises ground wheels 1, an axle 2 and a bolster 3. Gears 4 are secured to the inner sides of the wheels 1, and a draft yoke 5 is connected tothe axle 2 by cuffs 6. The draft yoke' 5 is pivotallycon'-A neet-ed as at 7 to the cuffs', and 'the latter are loose on the axle 2.

A hollow cylindrical body or casing 8 is secured to the bolster Sand occupies a ydownwardly and forwardly inclined position". A spiral conveyor 9 is rotatably mounted within the casing 8, and the rearward or upper end of the shaft 10 thereof has secured thereto a'pinion 11. This end vof the casing 8'is closed and provided with a bearing 12 for the shaft 10. The forward or lower end of the casing 8 is fully open and rake teeth 13 are located at its lower side. Theteeth 18 extend downwardly and forwardlywith respect to the casing 8 and are adapted to penetrate the groundwhile the machine is'in use. The casing 8 is provided at itsrearward end with a discharge opening 14 below whichy is located a chute 15. In its upper side the casing 8 is provided with openings'l to'permit of access being gained to the spiraly conveyor 9. These openings are closed by covers .gears of the driving connection y between and areadapted to be securedin closed posi-` tion `by anysuitable means such as thatvr shownat 19.` I

VKThe spiral conveyor 9is adapted to be driven fromA the Wheels V1 through the VInedium of shafts 20 and 21v ywhich are con'- nected to the gears 4 andpinion 1 1, The4 shafts 20Y and 21 are j'ournaled yin bearings 22 carried by the bolster v3 and in bearings 23 carried by the casing 8, and each of the' shafts consists of two sections connectedby a universal joint 24. i y loose on the shafts 20fand 21L Vand mesh with the pinion 11,- establish va driving connection between the rshafts and the spiral conveyor 9. The` gearsy 25` are ,provided withv annular series of ratchet teeth 26wi`th which similar series of ratchet teeth 27 on' sleeves '28' engage.v The- 'sleeves 28 `are slidablyniounted on the shafts 20 and 21, and the ratchet teeth thereof are yieldingly held ,in engagement with ythe ratchet .teeth of the gears v25 by springs 29k which are monntedV upon the shafts ybetween the'sleervesvand bearings 23. Pins 30 lwhich are 'carried' by the shafts2() "andy 21 and `pass through slfots4 81L lin the sleeves 28, establish a driving connection between the shafts land sleeves.y A gean 32 which is fixed to the shaftr and meshes with the adjacent gear 4, establishes a drivingconnection between this shaft and the adjacent wheel 1. AAdriving connection between the shaft 21 andther otherfwheel 1 is established bymeans of 1a gear fixed to this shaft, a gear l34`journaled onthebolster Sand meshing with the gear 33, and a 'gear 85 fixedfto'the gear 34 andsmeshing'with the Gears 25 which arel gear 4 of this wheel l. The shafts' 20 Vand 21 are rotated ina common direction and exert a uniform driving pressure on the spiral conveyor .9. The rear y ends of the shafts 10, 20 and 21 are V'connected by abar 36 provided with bearingsk 37 forthe reception of the ends ofthe shafts and connected tothe -'shaft l1() by an' element 38. The ratchet-'connection'between the shafts 20 and `21v andv thev gears 25 permitvthe machine to be backed or turned to the'rigvhtor left without'dangerof slipping' or otherwise injuring t 1e lwheels 1 and the spiralfconveyor9.

, A' rake 39 is connectedfto the vlower end of theA casingSby means of a sleeve 40 which is bolted orotherwise detachably securedinV place.- Thesleeve 4 0, is provided with a forward taperedxertension 41 which lis open at its front and bottom sides and Y extension 41 for movement about horizontal axes, they will readily accommodate themselves tok any unevenness of the ground and as the result hold their teeth 47 in contact with the ground at all times. The teeth. 47 extend downwardly, inwardly and fory wardly from the lower edges of the bars 42,

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and are, together with Vthe teeth 13, prevented from penetrating the ground beyond a certain depth by shoes 48 secured as at 49 to the'sleeve extension 41 and shoes 50 secured as at 51 to the rake bars. rlhe rake bars 42 are held against movement on their pivots 43 and 45 by a cross' bar 52 which rests upon the rake bars and is secured thereto by pins: 53, the pins being carried by the rake bars and passing through cer tain openings of the forwardly diverging rows of openings 54 in the cross bar. The cross bar 52 is provided in its ends with ei;- tensions 55 which overlie the front sections of the rake bars 42 and are connected to the cross bar by hinges 56. The front ends of the cross bar extensions 55 are laterally enlarged as shown at 57 and are provided with slots 58. A pin 59 carried by each of the front sections of the rake bars 42, and passing freely through the slots 58 in the cross bar extensions 55, permit the front rake bar sections to be adjusted relatively about their vertical pivots 45 and secured in adjusted position. The slots 58 extend in the direction of the length of the rake bars 42 so as to permit the rake bar sections 'to move about their horizontal axes 44 and 46.

Y[n practice, the machine may be con nected to a tractor or team through the medium of the'draft yoke 5 which extends forwardly from the axle 3 and about the casing 8. As the machine is drawn over the ground, the spiral conveyor 9 will be rotated with the result that the material en'- tering its front end will be carried through the casing 8 to the discharge opening 14. The material passing through the discharge opening 14 will be directed by the chute 15 into a wagon traveling alongside the machine. The material directed into the front end of the casing 8 will be gathered from over a wide area due to the angular arrangement ofthe rake `bars 42. The forward end of the spiral conveyor 9 is tapered and extends into the extension 41 of the sleeve 40.

It should be understood that the draw-y ings are merely illustrative and do not pretend to give exact proportions. Furthermore, the said drawings are illustrative of a preferred construction, it being my expectation that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a downwardly and forwardly inclined casing provided at its rear end with a discharge opening, wheels supporting the casing, a spiral conveyor within the casing, means connected to the front end of the casing for directing material into the same, a pinion fixed to the conveyor, shafts, gears` loose on the shafts located at opposite sides of the conveyor and meshing with. the pinion, ratchet mechanism establishing driving connection between the shafts and gears, and means establishing driving connection between the shafts and wheels. y

2. A machine of the character setV forth, comprising a downwardly and forwardly inclined conveyor, means for operatingl the conveyor, forwardly divergent sectional bars provided with rake teeth and located at the front end of the conveyor, and'means for pivotally connecting the bar sections.

3. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a downwardly and forwardly inclined conveyor, means for operating the conveyor, forwardly divergent sectional bars provided with rake teeth and located at the front end of the conveyor, and means for pivoting the bar sections for movement about vertical and horizontal axes.

4. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a downwardly and forwardly inclined conveyor, means for operating they conveyor, forwardly divergent sectional bars provided with rake teeth and located at the front end of the conveyor, means for pivoting the bar sections for movement about vertical and horizontal axes, and means releasably holding the bar sections against movement about their vertical axes.

5. A machine of the character Vset forth, including a downwardly and forwardly in'- clined casing provided at its rear end with a discharge opening' and provided at its front end with a forwardly directed tapered ex.` tension open at its front and bottom sides, a spiral conveyor within the casing and having itsrforward end'tapered and extending into said extension, and conveyor operating means.

GTA machine of the character set forth, including a downwardly and forwardly inclined conveyor, forwardly divergent bars provided with rake teeth and located at the front end of the conveyor, means Vmounting the bars to permit them to be adjusted later'- ally with' respect toeach other, Aand means holding the bars in adjusted relation.

.Ulli

7. A machine of the character set forth, including a downwardly and forwardly inclined conveyor', forwardly divergent bars provided with rake teeth and located at the front end of the conveyor and capable of relative lateral adjustment, and means holding the bars in adjusted relation.

'8. A machine of the character set including a downwardly and forwardly inclined conveyor, forwardly divergent bars provided with rake teeth and located at the front end of the conveyor and capable of relative lateral adjustment, means holding the bars in adjusted relation, said means embodying a cross bar provided with forwardly divergent rows ofl openings and an element carried by each of said first bars and passing through an opening of each of the rows of openings.

9. A machine of the character set forth, including a downwardly and forwardly inclined conveyor, forwardly divergent bars provided with rake teeth and located at the front end of the conveyor, means mounting the bars for relative adjustment about verltical axes and for movement about horizontal axes, and means holding the bars in adjusted relation.

l0. A machine of the character set forth, including a downwardly and forwardly iiiclined conveyor, forwardly divergent bars provided with rake teeth and located at the front end of the conveyor, means mounting the bars for relative adjustment about vertical axes and for movement about horizontal axes, each bar `consisting of sections, means connecting the bar sections for relative adjustment about vertical axes and for movement about horizontal aXes, and means holding the bars and bai' sections in adjusted relation.

ll. A machine of the character set-forth,

including a downwardly and forwardly iii-` forth,

clined conveyor, forwardly divergent bars provided with rake teeth and located at the front end of the conveyor, means mounting the bars for relative adjustment about vertical aXes and for movement abouty horizontal axes, means holding the bars'in adjusted relation, the bars being sectional, and means connecting'the sections of each bar for relativeV adjust-nient about vertical axes and for movement about horizontal axes, said second means holding' the bar sections in adjusted relation while permitting the bar sections to move about their horizontal axes. 'Y 1 12. A machine of the character set forth, including a downwardly and forwardly inclined conveyor, forwardly divergent bais provided with rake teeth and located at the front end of the conveyor, means mounting the bars forvadjustmentabout vertical and horizontal axes, the bars being'of sectional formation, means connecting the bars sections for adjustment about horizontal and vertical axes, a cross bar provided with forwardly divergent rows of openings, elements carried by certain ofthe bar sections and passing through certain of ysaid openings,

extensions hinged to the cross bar and having laterally enlarged free ends provided with openings, and elements carried by the otherbar sections and passing through certain of theopenings in said extensions.

13. A machine ofthe character set forth, including a downwardly and forwardly inclined conveyor, forwardly vdivergent bars provided with rake'teeth and located at the front end, of the conveyor, means mounting the rear ends of the bars for movement about horizontal axes, and shoes connected to and supporting the front ends of the bars.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

ELMER v. sANrEE. 

